- Date
- January 10, 2025, 16:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Newburyport, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9184YPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 23, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250110002939A
- Case key
- 199537
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s delayed decision to initiate a go-around, which resulted in the airplane colliding with an obstacle during approach.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that the flight began normally, with the student pilot departing the airport for maneuvering practice. During the flight, the instructor initiated a simulated loss of engine power, and the student pilot selected a runway for an emergency landing based on wind conditions and location. As they approached the runway, they determined they were too high to land directly and initiated a 270-degree turn to intercept the final approach. During the approach, the student extended the flaps earlier than anticipated, which resulted in greater than expected deceleration. They then observed that an obstacle, a trailer located near the end of the runway, was higher than anticipated. As the airplane neared the obstacle, the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and applied full power to execute a go-around; however, the airplane struck the top of the trailer, pitched downward, and subsequently impacted a fence before coming to rest. Both of the airplane’s wings were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The flight instructor and student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9184Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8616017
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 23,704
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 19, 2024 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- BVY · Beverly, MA
- Airport
- 2B2 · Plum Island Airport, runway 28, 2,105 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 10, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 291 total · 278 in this make and model · 219 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 8, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 874 total · 470 in this make and model · 816 as pilot in command · 97 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVC, 11 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPVC 102156Z AUTO 34012KT 10SM CLR 03/M06 A2975 RMK AO2 SLP073 T00281061
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9184Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.